Pentecost - Feast of First Fruits/Feast of Weeks

Did you ever wonder “where’ this name originated from? Do you understand its’ meaning? This Holy Day has several names, because it really means several different things. First, you need to understand that God used symbols that people could relate to. At the time the Old Testament was written, the land was agricultural. This is why many symbols are tied into the harvests of the land. Just as there are several physical harvests of the land, so shall there be several spiritual harvests of God’s people. Understanding the harvests of the land will help you to see that God is not dealing with everyone at the same time. Everything (everyone) in its’ own season.Before we look at the names for this Holy Day and the meaning behind them, we need to understand that this Holy Day is actually tied into the Holy Day preceding this one…The Feast of Unleavened Bread. It’s important to know that, because there are instructions to “count” off a certain number of days from the Feast of Unleavened bread in order to know when Pentecost is to be observed. The counting started with something called the, “Wave Sheaf Offering.” during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This sheaf (a small measurement) was to be offered during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We can read this in Lev. 23:10-12. This sheaf was to be waved to the Lord and be accepted. This sheaf is considered to be the “First of the First Fruits.” The counting started from the wave sheaf offering. You were given the instructions to count from the day of the wave sheaf offering until the day after the 7th Sabbath.

We read this in Lev. 23:15-16. This is the reasoning behind the name Feast of Weeks…because we are to count off 7 weeks from the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Of course we no longer offer sacrifices, because the Lord paid the ultimate sacrifice, but as we read further (verse 17), we see God’s people bringing in the first fruits of their harvest. (notice here, we are not talking about the “entire” harvest, just the early first fruits of the harvest.)

This is the meaning of the name “First Fruits,” because it represents the first of many. This day represented God’s people giving thanks for the harvest crop he had given them. We read on in verse 21 that this day is a Holy Day; a holy convocation (assembly). We are to do no work on this day. It also says that this day is to be a statute forever in our dwellings throughout our generations. A statute is “according to Webster’s, a law enacted by a legislative body. Strong’s defines statute this way:

02708 chuqqah {khook-kaw'}

from 02706; TWOT - 728b; n f

AV - statute 77, ordinance 22, custom 2, appointed 1, manners 1,

rites 1; 104

1) statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed

Finally, let’s look at the name PENECOST.

What does Strong’s say this name means?

4005 pentekoste {pen-tay-kos-tay'}

feminine of the ord. of 4004; TDNT - 6:44,826; n f

AV - Pentecost 3; 3

Pentecost = "the fiftieth day"

If you remember when we were discussing our instructions to "“count,” we were told to count seven (7) Sabbaths, or 49 days + the morrow after the Sabbath, equaling 50 days. Pentecost is the New Testament name for this Holy Day and it is here in the New Testament that you begin to see what this day actually means for “You.”

So far, we understand the meaning behind the literal “names” of this Holy Day, but what does this day actually represent?

As with most everything in the Bible, there is Duality; both a physical meaning, and a spiritual one. We read in Leviticus 23 about the physical meaning of the wave sheaf; that being the FIRST of the first fruits, and the first fruits are the first portion of a much larger harvest. We need to go to the New Testament to get the deeper spiritual meaning of this Holy Day.

First, let’s look at the connection between the wave sheaf offering and Jesus Christ. Turn to Acts 26:23. We see that Jesus is the first to rise from the dead. Does this mean that Jesus was the first of the firstfruits (the spiritual wave sheaf)? Turn to I Cor 15:20, 23. Not only do we see that Christ is the first of the first fruits, but we also see that those that are Christ’s at his Second Coming are also called first fruits. Turn to James 1:18. We are to be a kind of “first fruits.”

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament symbolism of the wave sheaf; being the first to rise from the dead. Once Jesus was risen from the dead, did he not have to “ascend” to heaven to his Father?

John 20:17. No one could touch him until his Father had accepted him. Later, on the same day after returning from heaven, the disciples could touch him. If we read John 20:19-22, we see that it was the first day of the week (Sunday) that Jesus returned to the disciples and showed him his hands, and offered the holy spirit to his disciples.

God knew that left to our own human willpower, we were not strong enough to overcome life’s temptations. We needed something more. We needed the Holy Spirit. Could Jesus have been completely obedient to God with only the willpower of his own, or did he too need something else? John 5:30 (first part) Jesus admits that of himself, he can do nothing. Jesus tells us in John 14:10 where the source of his strength comes from. The Father dwelt in Jesus giving him the strength to overcome. Jesus promises the disciples that they too would have this spiritual help. John 14:16 tells us that we would be given “the comforter.” What is the comforter? Verse 26 gives us that answer. The comforter is the Holy Spirit that would teach them all things and help to bring all things to memory.

What day did the disciples receive God’s Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:1-4. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples. This day marked the beginning of God’s spiritual church.

I Cor. 12:12-14. The Holy Spirit was given to strengthen and teach his first fruits. The New Testament festival of Pentecost is a memorial that commemorates the founding of the New Testament Church of God through the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost represents the initial first fruits of God’s spiritual harvest into God’s divine family. Again as the bible has duality, could Pentecost also represent the first resurrection? Yes, I said FIRST. The bible teaches there is "more" than one (1) resurrection. We read in I Cor 15:20, that Christ is called the first fruits of them that slept, then we read a little further in verse 23, there is an order of resurrections, first Christ the first fruits, and afterward, they that are Christ's at his coming. Now, let's look at the order. There is something interesting with these verses. Revelations 20:4 describes the kind of people that will be resurrected. These are those that lived their life for Christ, and many who died for witnessing about Jesus. This verse says these people will LIVE AND REIGN with Christ a thousand years. If we continue to read, we find in verse 6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the FIRST resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

So we see, there will be another resurrection after the 1000 years are finished. We see from verse 4 who are in the first resurrection; they are all those who are Christs. These are the first fruits, the first of an even greater harvest, and those in this first resurrection will reign and rule with Christ for 1000 years. What happens AFTER these 1000 years are finished? The second resurrection. Who are they? John 5:28 speaks of a resurrection where both the good and the bad people will be resurrected together. Those that have done good will have a resurection of life, than those that have done evil will have a resurrection of damnation (the second death).

It is clear that Pentecost symbolizes the beginning of the church (the physical) church, but it is quite possible that Pentecost could also symbolize the beginning of the spirtual church as well by the events of the FIRST resurrection.